The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health Launches its 10th Annual Faces of Mental Illness Campaign

CAMIMH Calling for Submissions from Members of the Public

OTTAWA, June 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is launching its 10^th annual Faces of Mental Illness campaign and seeking nominations from members of the public. CAMIMH is proud to organize this important campaign, which features the faces and stories of Canadians living in recovery with mental illness.  The campaign is about showing that mental illness touches the lives of millions of Canadians, that we need to talk about it, and we need to call for necessary services and supports that work.

"CAMIMH is pleased to invite Canadians from all backgrounds and across all parts of the country to nominate an individual, or even themselves, for our Faces of Mental Illness campaign," said Dr. Karen Cohen, Chair of MIAW 2012. "This is a unique opportunity to inspire millions with a personal story of courage and recovery.  These are stories that let the 1 in 5 Canadians living with mental illness each year know that they are not alone.  These are stories that, when told, help to reverse the stigma and discrimination attached to mental illness."

"Far too many Canadians living with mental illness remain silent and don't receive the help they need," continued Cohen. "At the end of the day, this campaign is about placing mental illness on the public agenda.  We want to raise awareness about the effectiveness of services and supports as well as to help ensure that when someone asks for help, these services and supports are available to them.  The Faces of Mental Illness campaign will illustrate to Canadians that mental illness has many faces - faces familiar to all of us and the faces of people who deserve respect, admiration, and most importantly, our attention."

The Faces of Mental Illness campaign, which is sponsored by Bell as part of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative, is a key component of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) running this year from September 30^th until October 6^th, 2012.

To nominate a Face, please visit camimh.ca for more details. Nominations will be accepted until July 26^th, 2012. The2012 Faces will be announced August 10^th, 2012.

Established in 1998, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is an alliance of national mental health organizations comprised of health care providers and organizations representing persons with mental illness and their families and caregivers. CAMIMH's mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support.

Kalene Tilson, Faces of Mental Illness Organizing Committee
Tel: [phone] Email: [email protected]